A Labour victory at this election would be a catastrophe for the United Kingdom

This is perhaps the most important election we have had in my lifetime. This is an election where there is a clear choice between an imperfect but competent conservative administration and a dangerous incompetent Labour one.

A few weeks ago, those of us who believe in economic and social liberalism had the luxury of castigating the conservative manifesto for its collection of illiberal policies. Most notably the energy price cap and the arbitrary cap on migration. As the gap in the polls narrow ahead of the election on Thursday, we must now make it clear that there is no equivalency between the Conservative and Labour plans.

The first two priorities for any government are:

Ensure the safety and security of its citizens

Effectively manage the economy

Without these two things, everything else a government would want to do crumbles. The importance of keeping the country safe and secure is obvious. The seven people who lost their lives in London last week could have been any one of us. Without a strong economy, we would be unable to fund the NHS, schools, the police, the armed forces and all the other public services we want. I am afraid on both accounts Labours plans would be truly disastrous. They truly are a hark back to the 1970’s.

With Labour, we will get higher unemployment, higher inflation, lower economic growth, a flight of capital & private investment and more debt. The people who will suffer the most will be the working people who Labour say they represent. Labours tax plans do not add up. The words “full costed” have been bandied about far too loosely. The plans to raise various taxes will not yield the fifty billion plus forecast and the plans to increase spending on public services have also been under forecast. The economic prudence built up by Brown/Blair in the New Labour years lies in tatters. This is very much an old labour manifesto.

On Islamist extremism, you have a Labour leader who is unable to identify and name the problem. A leader who wants to row back the prevent program, who until recently did not support shoot to kill, who has a long history of voting against measures targeting Islamist groups and who in general does not have the stomach to take the fight to these fanatics.

Do not get me wrong Theresa May’s plans contain flaws. There is however a world of difference between the two parties, which is why I urge who read this to go out and vote conservative.